7 Italy lakes that are pure paradise

We wouldn't be surprised if you don't want to return home

Italy’s rolling countryside and coastal towns, plates of pasta, and ancient sites are well documented (and well visited). But its more than 1,500 lakes? Not so much. From the country’s largest lake to its most star-studded, consider this your guide

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Lake Garda

Halfway between Brescia and Verona, Venice and Milan, Garda—at 143 square miles—is Italy’s largest lake and reputedly sees 7% of all visitors to the country. What not to miss: Ride a cable car to the top of Mount Baldo for a view at the lake’s expanse; seek spa treatments in Sirmione and Bardolino; order a plate of carne salada, or salted beef, in Riva del Garda; and take a tour to the island Isola del Garda, where, around 1220, St Francis of Assisi founded a monastery.

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Lake Como

Counting George Clooney among its acolytes (the Hollywood star owned a villa here), Lake Como is as equally known for its dramatic scenery as it is for its luxury resorts. To escape the crowds, ascend the mountain via funicular to Brunate, 1,600ft above the lake, and continue the trek on foot to Faro Voltiano, a remote lighthouse from which you can see Switzerland. Down the mountain in Como, sit for an hour (or two) over cappuccino at Cremeria Bolla, which opened in 1893, and then walk it off with a stroll along the lake’s picturesque waterfront.

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Lake Bracciano

Twenty miles northwest of Rome, Lake Bracciano owes its origins to volcanic activity thousands of years ago. Today, it is one of the cleanest lakes in Italy due to strict monitoring from officials and its status as a drinking water reservoir for Rome. Tour one (or both) of the lake’s main attractions: Castello Orsini-Odescalchi, considered one of the best-preserved castles in Italy, and the Italian Air Force Museum, which has an excellent collection of Italian aircraft and details national contributions to the industry.

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Lake Maggiore

Flanked by the Pennine, Lepontine, and Lugano Alps, Maggiore—Italy’s longest lake and its second largest—is known for its exotic gardens on Borromean and Brissago Islands, Santa Caterina del Sasso (one of the country’s most spectacular monasteries), and the baroque Palazzo Borromeo, where Napoleon stayed with his wife in 1797. The Sacred Mountain of Ghiffa, one of the nine Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy UNESCO World Heritage Sites, draws a fair amount of pilgrims, and literature aficionados will remember the lake from its scene in Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell To Arms.

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Lake Idro

Lake Idro is a seven-mile glacial lake in the provinces of Brescia and Trento. No engines over 10 horsepower are allowed, which makes the lake a favourite for sailors, swimmers, surfers, and fishermen bent on hooking trout. Mountains and countryside with hiking trails surround the lake, with three main villages (Bagolino, Bondone and the Village of Idro) serving as its main points of development. Take a boat out on the lake, or head up to Rocca d’Anfo, a fortified military complex built by the Venetian Republic in the 15th century.

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Lake Trasimeno

A change in scenery from the lakes in northern Italy, Trasimeno sits in Umbria, on the Tuscan border. It is a veritable paradise for both nature enthusiasts and gourmands alike: woods, vineyards and olive groves surround the shallow lake, which is rich in fish, and the uninhabited island of Polvese serves as a public park. Of architectural note? Castiglione del Lago, which sits on the southwest corner of the lake and primarily comprises The Fortress of the Lion, a 13th-century castle built on a limestone promontory. Tip: Craftsmanship is also strong in the area, and traditional Irish lace—introduced in the 1900s—makes for a memorable souvenir.

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Lake Bolsena

Camping, agrotourism and bed-and-breakfasts abound on the shores of Lake Bolsena, Europe’s largest volcanic basin. Here, there is everything from black sand beaches to bird watching (look for egrets, grey herons, swans and more), but the nearby Church of Santa Cristina may be one of the lake’s most celebrated sites: in 1263, a priest reportedly the subject of a miracle here, and his blood-stained relics remain in the Cathedral of Orvieto’s golden shrine.